Counterbalancing lid support



ug- 31, 1965 R. F. ANDERSON ETAL COUNTERBALANCING LID SUPPORT Filed Aug.19, 1965 Jg l I Lf/Maag: Y LW/ZEW W Q t l Wm 77 Z7 l Il M f r 7, 4 -1|lf mj i-- J 22 Z5 Zi Z] United States Patent O 3,203,575 COUNTERBLANCINGVSUPPDRT 'Ralph F. Anderson and Leonard K. Ploug'hman, Rockford, Ill.,assignors to National Lock Co., Rockford,

Ill., a corporation of vDelaware lliled Aug. 519, l963,.Ser.;No.`302,904 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-135) The present .invention relates to acounterbalancing lid support and more speciflcallyto .a simplifiedcounterbalancing lid support aand hinge construction adapted for use onthe `top-opening lid or closure for cabinets such as an automaticclothes washer.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of aAcountcrba-lanciizig lid or closure support and hinge construction for atop-opening lid, door or closure for the cabinet of an automatic clotheswasher which provides a spring-biasing arrangement to positively holdthe lid in a fully open -position at a 90 angle to the top of thecabinet or-enclosure. When the lid vis open, the springbiasing means isin -its lexpanded condition `and when the closure or lid is moved to acloscdposition, the springbiasing means is gradually compressed toprevent a sudden slamming of the lid, `and the `weight of the lidcounterbalances the compressed spring-biasing means to retain the lid inits fully closed position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a lidsupport and hinge which is strong and simple in construction and has aminimum number of parts. The housing for the spring-biasing means isformed of a corrosion-resistant material such as a suitable plasticwhich will resist the deleterious or corrosive effects of the soaps,detergents, bleaches, etc., as well as the hot water, utilized by thehousewife in the operation of the washer.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a lidsupport and hinge assembly having a cabinet wing which is adapted to besecured to the washer cabinet adjacent the access opening in the top ofthe cabinet, a lid or door wing pivotally mounted on the cabinet wingand secured to the rear edge of the closure, a spring housing for acompression spring secured to the lid and spaced from the lid wing and alink pivotally mounted at one end on the cabinet wing and pivotallysecured at its opposite end to the lower end of the compression spring.The pivotal connection between the cabinet wing and the lid or door wingprovides the hinge' for the lid.

As the novel closure support and hinge assembly assures retention of theclosure in fully open position, easy and complete access for theinsertion or removal of the clothes or contents of the washer cabinet isassured.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,eiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the irregular line1 1 of FIG. 2 and showing the lid or closure and counterbalancing lidand hinge support in their open position.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational View, partially in cross section, showingthe underside of the lid in its open position.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to FIG. l, but showingthe lid and lid support in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an automatic clothes washer cabinet with atop opening lid closure and embodying the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein is shown anillustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 discloses anautomatic clothes washer having ice a cabinet or V,enclosure 10 with ahinged -lid -11 providing a-closure for an access opening 12 andacontrolfpanel -13 at the rear of the cabinet including the conventionalcontrols for operation of the washer. The lid 11 has .downturned sides14 terminating in inturned flanges 15 which partially conceal -a pair of-lid support and hinge `assemblies 16 mounted at two adjacent corners of`the lid.

The hinge assemblies 16 are mirror images tof :each other so as -to beadapted for mounting on yeither side of the lid -11 (see FIG. 2). Each'hinge assembly 16.ir1- cludes a cabinet wing 16a having a horizontalilange 17 which is secured :by rrivets 18 or :other suitable securingmeans to a depressed ange port-ion 19 of Vthecabinet 10' deiining theaccess opening 12. The lid 11 inits closed position is adapted to be:positioned within the depressed portion wit-h lthe top lsurface 21 ofthe lid lying ush kwith the top cabinet surface 22. The cabinet wing*16a also has la vertical upwardly and rearwardly extending flange 23which extends substantially adjacent to the interior surface of the lid.A lid lwing '16h has a short arm 24 which parallels and Vis pivotallymounted onto the rear end of the vertical flange `23 of the cabinet wing;by a rivet 25, and an elongated arm 26 formed at right angles to 4theyarm 24 which extends inwardly Afrom the hinge assembly as viewed inFIG. 2 and is suitably secured to the adjacent rear edge 27 of the lid11.

A spring housing 2S which is preferably formed of a suitable plasticmaterial such as high density polyethylene is secured to the side edge14 of the lid 11 with the housing located under the inwardly extendingflange 15. Mounting screws 29 or other suitable fastening means extendinto openings 31 in the housing 28. The housing has a longitudinallyextending opening 32 which extends and opens through one end of thehousing and terminates short of the opposite end 33. The side of thehousing adjacent the side 14 of the lid is cut away as at 34 for asubstantial distance between the openings 31, 31 to provide for movementof the enlarged head 35 of a pin 36 which extends through opposedaligned elongated openings or slots 37 in the housing 28.

A compression spring 3S is positioned within the longitudinal opening 32with one end abutting the end 33 of the housing and the other endabutting and biasing the pin 3d toward the open end of the housing;movement of the pin being limited by the ends of the slots 37. Anelongated link 39 has one end 41 aixed to the pin 36 and the oppositeend 42 is pivotally or rotatably mounted on the vertical ange 23 of thecabinet wing 16a by a rivet or pin 43 spaced forwardly of the rivet orpin 25 connecting the cabinet wing 16a and the lid wing 16D.

With the hinge assemblies 16 assembled and secured to the lid or closure11 and the cabinet 10 of an automatic clothes washer in the mannerdisclosed, the rivets 25 act as the hinge pivot for the lid of thecabinet. When the lid 11 is in its open position (FIGS. l and 2), thespring 38 is in its normal expanded state and any movement of the lidtoward closed position will be resisted by the spring. When the operatorwishes to close the lid, the lid and the lid wing will pivot about thealigned rivets 25 connecting the lid wing and cabinet wing. Further, thelink 39 will pivot about the rivet 43 and, due to the relative positionsof the link and housing 28, there will be relative movement between thelink 39, the pin 36 and the housing 28 so as to compress the spring 38.As the compressed spring will have the tendency to expand, if the lid isdropped in closing, the spring will resist a sudden slamming of the lid.As the closing movement continues, compression of the spring willincrease until the lid reaches its fully closed position shown in FIG.3. When the lid is in closed position, the spring will tend to bias thelid toward open position, but this force is counterbalanced by theweight of the lid whereby the lid is retained in closed position untilmanually opened by lifting. Opening movement of the lid will be limitedby the elongated slots 37 which restrict movement of the pin 36.

While the invention has been shown and described as being advantageouslyapplicable to the lid of the cabinet of an automatic clothes washer, itis not our desire or intent to unnecessarily limit the scope or theutility of the improved features by virtue of this illustrativeembodiment.

We claim:

1. A counterbalaneing lid support for the pivotally mounted lid of acabinet, comprising a cabinet wing hav ing a horizontal ange secured toa cabinet and a vertical flange extending upwardly and rearwardly of thehorizontal ange, a lid Wing having an arm pivotally mounted on the rearend of said vertical ange and an arm at right angles to the rst arm andsecured to the rear of the lid for the cabinet, an elongated housingsecured to a side of the lid spaced forwardly of the lid wing andprovided with a longitudinal passage therethrough closed at the forwardend, said housing having aligned elongated slots on opposite sides ofthe housing and communicating with said passage, a compression springlocated in the passage in the housing with one end seating against theclosed end of the housing and a free end, a pin slidably mounted in andextending transversely through said housing and said elongated slots andagainst which the free end of said spring abuts, and an elongated linkpivotally mounted at one end to said pin and at the other end to thevertical ange of the cabinet wing forwardly of and spaced from thepivotal mounting for the lid wing, said link having a length greaterthan the spacing between said housing and said lid wing.

2. A counterbalancing lid support as set forth in claim l, in which saidhousing is recessed along the side adjacent the edge of the lid for adistance greater than the elongated slot to allow movement of theenlarged head on the inner end of the pin.

3. A counterbalancing lid support as set forth in claim 1, in which saidelongated slots are positioned adjacent the open end of the housing.

4. A counterbalancing lid support as set forth in claim 3, in which saidelongated slots limit movement of said pin in said housing duringmovement of said lid between open and closed positions, said link actingthrough said pin to compress the spring as thel id is moved from open toclosed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 566,621 8/96Rider et al. 4-248 1,574,340 2/26 Fauser 16-85 2,188,393 1/40 Mueller2l7-60 2,499,907 3/50 Docg 217-60 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

1. A COUNTERBALANCING LID SUPPORT FOR THE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED LID OF ACABINET, COMPRISING A CABINET WING HAVING A HORIZONTAL FLANGE SECURED TOA CABINET AND A VERTICAL FLANGE EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF THEHORIZONTAL FLANGE, A LID WING HAVING AN ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THEREAR END OF SAID VERTICAL FLANGE AND AN ARM AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE FIRSTARM AND SECURED TO THE REAR OF THE LID FOR THE CABINET, AN ELONGATEDHOUSING SECURED TO A SIDE OF THE LID SPACED FORWARDLY OF THE LID WINGAND PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH CLOSED AT THEFORWARD END, SAID HOUSING HAVING ALIGNED ELONGATED SLOTS ON OPPOSITESIDES OF THE HOUSING AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGE, A COMPRESSIONSPRING LOCATED IN THE PASSAGE IN THE HOUSING WITH ONE END SEATINGAGAINST THE CLOSED END OF THE HOUSING AND A FREE END, A PIN SLIDABLYMOUNTED IN AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY